The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-11-26
THE CHICAGO SUNDAY-SCHOOL
UNION.

The regular monthly meeting of the
Universalist Sunday-school Union was
held at the Church of Our Father, at the
corner Of Larrabee street and Grant place,
last Thursday afternoon and evening.
The day was devoted to the pressing prob
lens OF the work of the union, with the
exception of surprise in the shape
OF an address from Francis Murphy,
the temperance apostle, who happened
to be present. The meeting was we'll at
tended and fifty delegates were present
from the schools composing the union in
Chicago and vicinity.
Hon. Willard Woodward, of the Church
OF the Rsdeemer, presided. At the after
noon session Rev. Miss. A. J. Chaplin spoke
on intellectual Preparation for Sunday
school teaching" To become a COM
petent teacher, she said the first requi-
sites wee good Christian faith and
fair average intelligence. A definite aim
was then necessary, that familiar path
along which the pupil should be led
might be ever kept in mind. The teach
or should strive to not only impart the
lesson to the pupil in an intelligent man.
ner, bat should be imbued with the very
spirit of the lesson herself.
An essay on the social value of per-
sonal knowledge of the character, habits,
and surroundings of each member of the
Sunday school class was next read by
Mrs. O. 8. Nickerson, wife of our North
Chicago pastor. The first essential in teach
ing, the essayist maintained, was for the
teacher to get her pupils interested in
something, and then by observing the
trend Of their individual minds to i'm
plant spiritual food of such a nature as
was best adapted to the mental soil. BY
such means the results would be like the
| harvests of the farmer who studied the
character Of the ground before sowing
his seed. If boy wish sd to become in
| after years soldier it would be best for
the teacher to relate to him the stories of
David and Goliath, point out their plans
in the Bible, and by inducing the boy to
read it, would most likely cause him to
read further in the work. And to obtain
an accurate knowledge of the pupil, the
visit the home of the child and study his
environments.
| Rev. A. 81. Laing, of Joliet, addressed
the union on illustrations: sHow to Get
and How to use Them" making several
pertinent remarks and illustrating in
unique manner the use OF illustrations.
Rev. J. @. Adams next spoke on "The
| Spiritual Preparation Necessary to Teach
the Lesson" The greatest trouble in
carrying on any work was, he thought,
in the procuring of competent workmen.
Competent workmen were rarities in
even so simple duty as the driving of a
nail. In the spiritual sphere it was even
more difficult to obtain competent work
men or teachers, and until that diff
Guilty should be overcome, the progress
could not be very rapid. A Sunday
school teacher to be of any value should
be Jealous in the exercise of private
prayer. The Bible and the religious
works Of eminent minds should be read
and re-read, and then discussed in con-
genial companionship and conversation.
In conclusion he recommended the
teacher to prepare herself or himself on
broad and comprehensive basis, to put
the whole soul into the work, and then,
with an imbued faith in God they would
be excellently equipped for the work.
AT this point, Francis Murphy was in
troduced and held the close attention of
the audience for twenty minutes. "The
great need of the world" said he, sis help
for people in want. No man feels power
ty more than he who desires and seeks to
help humanity. 1t is very easy for a
congregation to find fault with the grow
ing want of eloquence in the preacher
and to complain of lack of vigor and
productiyeness in his work, but does that
congregation ever think that the preach
or is in need of fertilizing and that the
members of the congregation should do
the fertilizing by encouraging their pas
tor in his endeavors, and supplying stim-
ulatmg properties for his weakening It's
sues, and that the need of the preacher is
the need of the world? Mercy and assist
ance to the weak should be beautifully
dispensed. myself belong to all the peo-
pie. have drank from the fountain of
celestial truth, and in consequence am
in love with all Gods people, and to
every one, be he Universalist, Con-
gregationalist, Methodist, Presbyterian,
Episcopalisn, Swedenborgsn, European,
American, African, Asistic, Jew, gentle,
black or white, he is the same to me and
1 love to take him by the hand, and give
him, if he need it, aid"
The speaker then branched off TO the
temperance phase of life. Drink" he
said, las you know enters largely into |
the existence of humanity, and the cure
Of man who succumbs to it, should be |
undertaken in the same manner as the |
cure of a sick child. That is, with tender
care. The present methods of curing
man are quite as likely to kill as cure
him. He can't be cured by putting him
in jail and fining him. He should be